Around this time of year, we often like to remind readers about the importance of road safety during busy holiday weekends or the importance of campfire safety while out enjoying the wilds of B.C. - seasonal safety issues that can all too often have horrifying consequences.
But we've never spent much time talking about the danger of windows - until now.
Last summer, in the space of just a few weeks, there were more than 10 reported incidents of children falling from windows in B.C.
Here in New Westminster, within hours of each other, two children fell out of windows - one from the third floor of a home and one from the eighth floor of an apartment building. The first child survived with relatively minor injuries; the second, tragically, died. That same month, in nearby Burnaby, a five-year-old boy pushed through a screen on the third floor of his home - he also fortunately survived.
Last year, there were about twice as many falls out of windows by children compared to the normal provincial average. But frankly, any at all is too many.
The B.C. Children's Hospital and the B.C. Ambulance Service recently issued a warning to parents about this very real risk, which increases as the weather warms because people are more apt to open windows and leave them unattended.
Dr. Ash Singhal of the B.C. Children's Hospital trauma program says falls are more likely for children aged one to six, and the injuries can be severe - broken limbs, facial trauma, head injuries or even death.
In the heat of the summer, it can be easy to forget that a window has been propped open, but it's vital that people secure doors and windows. Don't rely on screens to hold back children, and never underestimate the ability of a toddler to figure out a latch.
Their lives just might depend on it.
